Fluss Bad Berlin - Fernando Menis

The first drop of clean water in the Spree, 2004

Watercolour, free floating
Frame: Maple, white glazed, ArtGlas AR70 2mm
Sheet size (H x W): 22.8 x 32.5 cm
Frame size (H x W): 31.4 x 41.4 cm
unique piece, signed on the front (2023)

Lot number 35
Minimum bid: 300,- EUR / estimated price 600,- to 800,- EUR

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I attribute Badeschiff`s significant success, despite its relatively modest scale, to its adept identification and response to a social need, as well as its role in highlighting a fundamental issue in Berlin: the pollution of its river. During my visit to the city for the competition that led to the creation of this public pool, I observed the popularity of the banks of the Spree River among Berliners for recreation, yet the presence of toxic water prevented swimming—a discrepancy that struck me, coming from the Canary Islands, where the shore represents an opportunity for leisure and enjoyment of both the sun and water. Additionally, historical context revealed the existence of 15 private bath pavilions along the river until the late 19th century, closed due to water contamination before World War I. It was at the convergence of my understanding of nature as a Canary Islander and Berlin's tradition of river bathing that the concept of creating "the first drop of clean water" emerged, envisioning the pool as the inaugural installment in a series of riverfront facilities throughout the city. In this regard, the citizen activism movement Fluss Bad Berlin, advocating for the revitalization of the Spreekanal into a recreational area, resonates as a natural and welcome progression of the first intentions with the Badeschiff. It’s a courageous and necessary initiative.
Über das Werk: Aquarelle study on the “Badeschiff” project in Berlin made during the building works as a personal digression.
Fernando Menis
With an awarded career spanning over 40 years, Fernando Menis (1951, Spain) is renowned for his architectural expertise, particularly in designing concert halls and auditoriums, exemplified by his pioneering work on the variable acoustics system for the CKK Jordanki Concert Hall in Poland (2015). Other notable completed projects are the Church of the Holy Redeemer of Las Chumberas, El Tanque Garden, the Plaza Bürchen in Switzerland, the Insular Athletics Stadium of Tenerife, Magma Arte & Congresos, the Floating pool in the Spree River of Berlin, the Presidency of the Canary Islands Government in Tenerife and the Rehabilitation of El Drago Park of Tenerife. Menis continues to lead groundbreaking projects such as the Adaptive Reuse of the Viera y Clavijo Cultural Park in Tenerife and the Contemporary Art Museum Park Seo-Bo in Jeju, South Korea. A PhD Architect, his works have been showcased internationally, with projects featured in prestigious institutions like the MoMA Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Venice Biennale.